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News for June 6, 2017

In this Edition:

Letter from the Marketing Director
Marketing
International Marketing
Education
Research

Calls for Wine
Other News
Quick Links
Upcoming Events

LETTER FROM THE MARKETING DIRECTOR

Dear friends,

On behalf of the team here at the Oregon Wine Board, I’d like to say thank you to all of you who joined in to make Oregon Wine Month a great success. With your collaboration, May was unmistakably dedicated to Oregon wine at retailers and restaurants around the region, you were extra creative in your tasting rooms, and social media was abuzz with Oregon wine.

We always strive to improve year-to-year, and the numbers below show that together we stepped up our game again in 2017. However, as we look to how we can make next year even better – and ensure that we keep doing more of what’s working – we need your input. Please take about five minutes to complete the Oregon Wine Month 2017 survey to let us know what you want to see more of, less of, or done differently. As always, your responses are anonymous and reported in aggregate.

Here are just a few of the highlights from our 2017 Oregon Wine Month program:

164 restaurant locations participated in Oregon Wine Month by offering special flights or other promotions, up 86% from last year
5 retail chains in Oregon incentivized with wine steward display competitions
34 distributor locations received Oregon Wine Month POS materials, adding 8 locations around the Pacific Northwest
14 collaborative events and promotions hosted by regional associations statewide to coincide with Oregon Wine Month celebrations
131 tasting rooms requested the kit of materials to put on display; 20 more than last year
315 events posted to the consumer events calendar, up 24% from last year
17,500 page views of the events calendar, up 31% from 2016
20+ million impressions of Oregon Wine and Oregon Wine Month generated on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram during May
16,000 entries received in Oregon Wine Month sweepstakes, growing the OWB’s consumer contact list by 142% during the promotional period

Once again, thank you for your participation, and for your helpful feedback. Best wishes for a fantastic growing season.

Cheers,

Jess Willey
Director of Marketing

MARKETING

Nominate an Oregon Wine Month Rep of the Year

Oregon Wine Month would not be possible without the hard-working distributor sales reps that call on top accounts, get those by-the-glass features and secure incredible retail display activity. In recognition of this, the OWB will honor two distributor sales reps as Oregon Wine Month Reps of the Year based on performance during May 2017. Who do you know that deserves to be recognized with this award? Learn more and submit a nomination by Jun. 15.

Oregon Wines Fly Free Participating Winery Survey

Earlier this year the Oregon Wine Board, along with our partners at Alaska Airlines and Travel Oregon, renewed the Oregon Wines Fly Free program into 2019. We will be creating new print and digital promotional materials to support Oregon Wines Fly Free participating wineries. Help ensure the materials we create are most useful for your tasting rooms by completing a short 3-5 minute survey. Get the survey link or learn about becoming a participating winery.

What is Your Winery or Vineyard Planning for the Eclipse?

As you’re no doubt aware, a total solar eclipse will roll across Oregon on Aug. 21, plunging parts of the Willamette Valley into darkness and attracting millions of visitors to the area. The OWB will be sharing winery and vineyard eclipse events through our social and newsletter channels throughout the summer. Post your eclipse events to the calendar.

Update Your Online Tasting Room Profile

The OWB’s newest resource for Oregon wine country visitors is an online database of 500 tasting rooms, searchable by nearly 50 unique parameters. To capture the most visitors for your tasting room, be sure to claim and customize your listing. Read more and find out how to update your profile.

INTERNATIONAL MARKETING

Mexico Consumer-Oriented Inbound Trade Mission

Companies interested in the Mexico market can meet one-on-one with pre-screened qualified buyers from leading retail chains during an inbound trade mission in Portland on Jul. 24-25. The mission is sponsored by the Western U.S. Agricultural Trade Association (WUSATA). The deadline to register is Jul. 17 and the cost to participate is $15. Get more details and register to participate.

Korea Consumer-Oriented Inbound Trade Mission

Tap into Korea’s large and growing consumer-oriented products market by participating in an inbound trade mission sponsored by the Western U.S. Agricultural Trade Association (WUSATA) on Jul. 24-25 in Portland. The deadline to register is Jul. 17 and the cost to participate is $15. Get more details and register to participate.

EDUCATION

Oregon Wine Symposium Content Now Open to View

Content from the 2017 Oregon Wine Symposium is now available for all to view. Prior to Jun. 1, the videos and presentation materials had been password protected, only available to Symposium attendees who completed the event survey. View the 2017 Symposium content.

OWA Immigration Forum in Southern Oregon

After a great response to the Apr. 20 forum in Newberg, the Oregon Winegrowers Association is taking its Immigration Forum to Southern Oregon. This OWA members-only forum is being held on Jul. 20 at SOREC in Central Point. Learn more and find out how to register.

Participate in the Wine Industry Immersion Program at Linfield College

The Wine Industry Immersion program at Linfield College runs every Tuesday and Thursday from Jun. 13 through Aug. 3. Each session is taught by a diverse set of seasoned industry professionals, encompassing the wine production process from vineyard to table. Learn more or register.

RESEARCH

Summer 2017 Weather and Climate Summary and Forecast

On Jun. 6, Dr. Greg Jones of Southern Oregon University published a Summer 2017 weather and climate summary and forecast. This report looks back at May conditions, provides an updated drought watch, and forecasts June, July and August 2017. Read the report here.

Research Update: Nitrogen Management in the Vineyard and in the Winery

Dr. Paul Schreiner, research plant physiologist, USDA-ARS and Oregon Wine Research Institute, has prepared an update on research he is leading regarding nitrogen management in the vineyard and in the winery. This project receives funding from the Oregon Wine Board as part of its viticulture and enology research grant program. Read Dr. Schreiner’s research update here.

CALLS FOR WINE

Last Call to Submit Wines for the 2017 Oregon Wine Competition

All Oregon wineries are invited to submit up to five wines to the 2017 Oregon Wine Competition with judging Aug. 5-6. The competition is associated with the Oregon Wine Experience, which showcases the full breadth and depth of Oregon wines. The deadline to submit is Jun. 9, and all proceeds benefit Asante Foundation, a designated Children’s Miracle Network hospital. Read OWB education manager Bree Boskov MW’s blog post on why wineries should participate, and get details on how to enter.

Sip Northwest’s Best of the Northwest 2017 Competition

Sip Northwest is now accepting submissions for its sixth annual Best of the Northwest issue, which will come out in October. The wines will be tasted blind, with a panel comprised of the Northwest’s top palates, judges and professionals. Entries are due by Jul. 10. Read more details and get submission information.

2018 BRIT Sustainable Winegrowing Competition

The BRIT International Award of Excellence in Sustainable Winegrowing competition recognizes wineries with a “ground to glass” attitude towards sustainability. The competition focuses on taste as well as the three tenets of sustainability: environmental, economic, and social. The deadline to enter is Jul. 31. Find out more and get entry details.

American Wine Society 2017 Commercial Wine Competition

The American Wine Society (AWS) is the largest consumer-based wine organization in the U.S. It has conducted this prestigious competition annually for more than 30 years. This year’s competition will be held Oct. 31 – Nov. 2, and entries are due by Oct. 21. Find out more and get entry details.

OTHER NEWS

Michigan Distributor Seeking New Oregon Producer Partners

U.S. Wine Imports, a specialty wine distributor in Michigan, is seeking to grow its Oregon portfolio. The firm sells primarily to restaurants and independent retailers and just celebrated 10 years in business. Get more details and contact information here.

Offer for Free Aerial Vine-Vigor Vineyard Mapping

Hawk Aerial’s proprietary Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) vineyard mapping service has been developed to specifically quantify vigor in grapevines. The company is offering free 10-acre trials of their EVI vine-vigor mapping service to vineyards in Oregon during June, subject to availability. Find out more and get contact information.

OVS Chemical and Fertilizer Container Recycling Day

On Friday, Jun. 30, OVS will be offering free recycling services for chemical and fertilizer containers at their McMinnville and Salem locations. Find out guidelines, hours and location information.

Travel Oregon Matching Grants Application Period Opens Jul. 10

The Travel Oregon Matching Grants Program makes awards available to eligible applicants for projects that contribute to the development and improvement of local communities throughout the state. The application period for the next cycle of Competitive Small Grants and Oregon Wine Country Plates Grants opens Jul. 10. Draft guidelines are available to download to help you start preparing your application. Get more details here.

Chehalem Winery to Donate $40,000 in Wine

On May 15, Chehalem Winery launched its inaugural Making a Case for Giving campaign to celebrate Oregon Wine Month. Chehalem plans to give away at least 100 cases of wine to charities in Oregon and the Vancouver, WA metro area. Share this opportunity if you know of charitable organizations that may be interested in applying by the Jun. 15 deadline. Get details here.

Oregon Coast Aquarium Seeking Wineries for Major Donor Event

The Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport is celebrating its 25-year history, and embarking on a major capital campaign to remodel and expand. They are seeking 10-12 Oregon wineries to pour at an invitation-only VIP event for 250-300 major donors and charter members on Jul. 21. Read more about the event and get contact information to participate.

Come Share Your Winery’s Story with the OWB Team

The OWB team always likes getting to know the wineries and vineyards we represent. Wineries are invited to OWB’s office to share their wines and brand story with us at 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. This is a great opportunity for you to get to know our organization better, ask questions of us and share your suggestions. Learn more and sign up for a visit.

OWB QUICK LINKS

You might want to…

Order Oregon Wine Touring Guides for your tasting room
Update your public tasting room profile
Learn about how the OWB evaluates industry requests for funding
Search the Industry Marketplace for grapes, bulk wine, real estate, equipment or jobs
Submit a listing to the Industry Marketplace
Promote an industry educational opportunity
Submit an event to the industry calendar
Submit an event to the consumer calendar

UPCOMING EVENTS

View the full Industry Events calendar

JUNE 24 – 27

OREGON PINOT CAMP

Willamette Valley

JULY 28 – 30

IPNC

Linfield College in McMinnville

AUGUST 5 – 6

THE OREGON WINE COMPETITION

Jacksonville

AUGUST 21 – 27

OREGON WINE EXPERIENCE